Gear-release



c.H. KLoEn. GEAR RELEASE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13, l9l9.

Patented Aug 23, 1921,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

C. H. KLOER.

GEAR RELEASE.

APPLICATION FILED AuG.13, |919.

1 ,388,65 1 Pllted AUS 23, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

aww/who@ CHARLES H. KLOEB, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW J' ERSEY.

GEABfRELEAsE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

Application led August 13, 1919. Serial No. 317,121.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. KLoEn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jersey City, county of Hudson, State of New Jersey, have invented certa-in new and useful Improvements in Gear-Releases; and I do hereby declare the following tofbe a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to an improved form of automatic means for throwing a pinion into and out of mesh with a corresponding toothed wheel, and particularly to a structure of this kind as used for so-called self-starting motors for automobiles.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention as applied to this last named purpose, and Figure 1 is a plan view of the pinion and its driving support,-Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same showing a portion of the gear wheel on the motor to be started or cranked, Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the dotted line 3 3 in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a modified form of the device.

In cranking a self-starting motor, the initial movement is imparted by a pinion driven by an electric motor and driving a gear wheel adapted to turn over the internal combustion engine to be started. Means are supplied for automatically bringing the pinion into mesh with the gear wheel when the starting is to be accomplished; and, when the motor starts it acts to disengage the pinion so that the electric motor used in starting may be disconnected from the internal combustion motor while it is running. My improvement accomplishes these ends in the following manner.

At 10 in Figs. 1 and 2 is shown the end of the armature of the electric motor which is used for starting, and this is connected by suitable means with a pinion support 11. The two turn within a bearing 12 having a bushing 13 of any suitable construction.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the abutting ends of the shaft l0 and the pinion support 11 are splined and are firmly joined by a correspondingly splined sleeve 14 which turns in the bushing 13. Thisis clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The parts l0 and l1 are firmly locked together by means of an interior pin 15, screwlng into theend of the armature shaft as shown in Fig. 2, and having a collar 16 whlch bears against the part 11, pressing it firmly against the shaft 10.

he pinion support is a hollow cylinder, and 1t 1s formed in the manner` shown clearly 1n Figs. 1 and 2 so as to afford two spiral slots 17 and 18 ending, at the outer extremity of the support 1l, in two correspending entrance grooves 19 and 20 para lel to the axis of the pinion support.

'Ihe pinion 21 has two pins 22 and 23 which extend inward through the `slots 17 and 18 respectively. These pins are slid along the straight slots 20 and 19 when the device is assembled, and the cap 24 is then screwed onto the end of the pinion support. t will thus be seen that the portions of the pinion support between the spiral slots form the pinion guides hereinbefore alluded to.

It will also be seen that the pin 15 affords i extra support to the outer end of the part 11, through the cap 24C into a portion of which the pin 15 fits, as shown.

It is an importantadvantage of my invention that by making the pinion support of a hollow tube and cutting a spiral or spirals all the way through its wall, this support becomes sufficiently resilient to afford a springy resistance to the shock of the spinning pinion as it reaches theend of its course. i

The gear wheel which is connected perma nently with the motor to be started is shown in art at 25.v

et it be assumed that the electric motor used in the self-starting operation revolves the shaft l0 and support 11 clockwise as viewed from the left inFig. 2. The pinion 21, owing to its inertia, will not rcvolve at first, and consequently the sides of the slots 17 `and 18 will act through the pins 22 and 23 to move the pinion 21 to the left in Fig. 2, until it meshes with the gear wheel 25. By this time the pin 23 will have abutted against the end of its slot, at 26 (Fig. 2) and the inion will have to turn with its support. his will revolve the gear wheel 25, thus causing the internal combustion engine to start in a `well known manner. The spring 27 is preferably provided to cushion this rapid movement of the pinion 21.

As Soon as the internal combustion engine denl Yof the starts, the gear wheel 25 will undergo a great increase in velocity and this will give a sudden swift spinning movement to the pinion 21, which will cause the pins 22 and 23 to cooperate with the sides of the' slots 17 and 18 to throw the pinion to the right in Fig. 2,-thus automatically disengaging the electric starting motor from the engine.

When the pinion 21 is thus moved back to the position shown in Fig. 2, it will continue to revolve with its support as lon as the electric motor runs. This is insured by the friction between the pinion 21 and its support, and particularly with fthe cap 24. To prevent any possible failure of this operation and to prevent accidental movement inion toward the left by reason of its ceasing to turn with the support 11, I

refer to rovide a friction spring 28 which ears on t e pin '15.l l.The pin is so tapered,

.as shown, that, as soon as the pinion starts to move toward the left in Fig. 2 the friction ofthe spring 28 is increased, thus arresting any accidental tendency of this kind after disengagement. Of course, when the pinion 21 is at restand the electric motor is sudy startedthe inertia of the pinion is great enough to insureroperative movement to the left in spite of the s ring28.

In thev lform shown in ig. `2, the spring 28 is carried upon a special sleeve 29, forming a bridge between the pins 22 and 23,

' which sleeve I have termed a pin bridge.

l v proved construction without departing fromv my invention, and Ido not limit myself to This is not essential, however, as the spring 28 may be fixedto the pins themselves, as inthe modifications shown in Fig. 4.

In this modification, the pinion support 30 forms a continuationl of the armature shaft 31. The interior pin 32 is not used as a connection but merely as avmeans to afford additional support at the outer end,

through the agency of the cap 33. In this form the pinion 34 is automatically engaged with and disengaged from the gear wheel 35 in the manner already described withv relation to Fig. 2.

. Various changes ma .be made'in my iinthe details herein shown and described.

What I claim is- Y 1. Automatic gear shifting means comprising a pinion supporting member with a iexlble hollow extension having spiral slots` through its wall, a inion carried loosely on said flexible extension andengaging said slots, and meansfor rotating said pinion support.

2. Automatic gear shifting means comprisng a pinion supporting member with a ollow extension having spiral slots through `its1wa11, and a pinion carried loosely-thereon and h aving pins extending v -inward through said slots', said pins being'adapted to bear against the closed end of said slots at one extreme position in the pinion, whereby torque may be transmitted directly throu h said hollow pinion support.

3. Automatic gear shifting means comprising a pinion supporting member with a hollow extension having spiral slots through its wall, and a shoulder at the inner end of said extension, and a pinion carried loosely thereon and engaging said slots, said pinion being adapted to come up against said shoulder.

4. Automatic gear shifting means comprising a pinion supporting member with a hollow extension having spiral slots through its wall, a pinion carried loosely on said extension and having pins extending inwardly through said slots, and a pin bridge connecting said pins across the interior of said hollow extension.

5V. A device of the character described in claim 4hereof in combination with an interioraxially placed supporting pin passing through an opening in said pin bridge.

G. A device of the character described in claim 4 hereof in combination with an interior axially placed supporting pin assi through an opening in said pin bri ge an a cushioning spring surrounding said supporting pin at the inner end of the hollow extension and adapted to be compressed by the pin bridge, when the pinion is moved to working position.

7. A device of the character described in claim 4 hereof in combination with an interior axially placed supporting pin passing through an opening in said pin bridge and friction spring fingers carried by said pin bridge and bearing upon said supporting pin.

8. Automaticl gear shifting means comprising a pinion support with a hollow extensionhaving spiral slots through its wall, an axially placed supporting pin extending through the same and fixed in the solid base of the pinion support, and a cap on the end of the pinion support having a counterboreat its center fittingvover said supporting pin.

v9. Automatic gear shifting means oomprising a pinion support with a hollow extension having spiral slots through its wall, an axially placed supporting pin extendthrough the same and fixed in the solid base of the pinion support, said supporting pin having a tapering portion, and friction springs carried b v the pins on the pinion adapted to bear on said tapered portion.

10. Automatic gear Shifting means comprising a driving shaft, aseparate pinion support having an open ended extension with spiral slots through its wall, a pinion carried on said extension and engaging said slots, and a pin extending axially through said support and having a threaded end uniting the pinion support with the end of the driving shaft.

11. The device set forth in claim 10 hereof'wherein the axial pin is provided with a shoulder near its inner end to abut against the solid portion of the pinion support.

12. The device set forth in claim 10 hereof wherein a cap is provided fitting over the end of the pinion support and engaging the end of the axially placed pin.

13. Automatic gear shifting means com* prising a driving shaft, a separate pinion support thereon having a hollon7 extension at one end and adjoining the drivin shaft at its other end, a bearing, a sleeve itting revoluloly vvithin said bearing and surrounding the adjoining ends of the driving shaft and pinion-support, and splines Within said sleeve uniting said ends.

141. The construction set forth in claim 13 hereof in combination With a supporting pin axially placed Within the hollow pinion support and having a threaded end extending through the solid portion of the pinion support and into the end of the driving shaft to hold them together.

15. Means of the character set forth in claim 1 hereof in combination With a cap on the end of the hollow flexible extension adapted to limit the longitudinal travel of the pinion in one direction. A

16. Means of the character set forth in claim 1 hereof in combination with a longitudinal supporting pin located Within the pinion support, and a cap screwed onto the outer end of the pinion support provided with a recess which receives the outer end of said supporting pin.

17. Means of the character set forth in claim 1 hereof in combination With a longitudinal supporting pin Within the pinion support and means on the pinion adapted to engage frictionally with said supporting pin for the urpose described.

18. eans of the character set forth in claim 1 hereof Wherin the pinion support is fixed to the driving shaft by means of a threaded longitudinal pin Within said support, said pin being mechanically connected with the outer end of the support.

19. A device of the character set forth in claim 1 hereof wherein frictional nieans are provided for preventing accidental movements of the pinion.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES H. KLOER. 

